Equipment enclosure kit and assembly method

ABSTRACT

An equipment enclosure for housing electronic components includes a front assembly having a front frame, the front assembly defining a front of the enclosure, and a rear assembly having a rear frame. The enclosure further includes at least two side brace members, each side brace member having a first end and a second, opposite end. A first connector is configured to releasably connect the first end of one of the side brace members to the front frame. A second connector is configured to releasably connect the second end of the one of the side brace members to the rear frame. Other embodiments and methods are further disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to racks and enclosures, and moreparticularly to racks and enclosures used to house data processing,networking and telecommunications equipment.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Equipment enclosures for electronic equipment, such as data processing,networking and telecommunications equipment have been in use for years.Over the years, a number of different standards have been developed toenable equipment manufacturers to design rack mountable equipment thatcan be mounted in standard racks manufactured by differentmanufacturers. One such standard is the Electronic IndustriesAssociation's EIA-310-D standard which defines parameters for what hasbecome an industry standard nineteen inch rack.

Nineteen inch racks are used extensively in data centers and otherfacilities. With the proliferation of the Internet, it is not uncommonfor a data center to contain hundreds of these racks. Further, with theever decreasing size of computer equipment, and in particular, computerservers, the number of electrical connectors mounted in each rack hasbeen increasing, raising additional power distribution, cooling andcable distribution concerns at the rack level. With these increasingconcerns, there is a need for equipment racks that are flexible enoughto satisfy a variety of different requirements, capable of meetingindustry standards, and sufficiently simple in design to be costeffective, given the quantities of these racks that may be used in afacility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the invention is directed to an improved equipmentenclosure for housing electronic components. The enclosure includes afront assembly having a front frame, the front assembly defining a frontof the enclosure, and a rear assembly having a rear frame. The enclosurefurther includes at least two side brace members wherein each side bracemember has a first end and a second, opposite end. A first connector isadapted to releasably connect the first end of one of the side bracemembers to the front frame. A second connector is adapted to releasablyconnect the second end of the one of the side brace members to the rearframe.

Embodiments of the enclosure may include a plurality of panelsreleasably attachable to at least one of the front frame, the rearframe, and one of the side brace members to cover open sides of theenclosure. At least one spring finger, coupled to one of the pluralityof side panels and at least one of the front frame, the rear frame, andone of the side brace members, provides electrical continuity betweenthe side panels and the at least one of the front frame, the rear frame,and one of the side brace members. Each connector may include an uppertab mounted on one of the front and rear frames, and a top flange formedon the one of the side brace members. The top flange has a downwardlyopening channel adapted to receive the upper tab when connecting the oneof the side brace members to the one of the front and rear frames. Eachconnector may further include a lower tab mounted on the one of thefront and rear frames, the lower tab having a boss formed thereon, andan opening formed in the one of the side brace members below the topflange. The opening is adapted to receive the boss therein whenconnecting the one of the side brace members to the one of the front andrear frames. Each connector may further include a channel member mountedon the one of the side brace members. The channel member is adapted toreceive the one of the front and rear frames therein when connecting theone of the side brace members to the one of the front and rear frames. Afastener is attached to the one of the front and rear frames. Thearrangement is such that the channel member has a finger projecting fromthe channel member, with the finger being adapted to hook onto thefastener. The fastener is adapted to be tightened to secure the fingerin place.

At least one mounting flange may be releasably mounted on one of theside brace members within an interior of the enclosure. The at least onemounting flange is adapted to support equipment in the enclosure. The atleast one mounting flange comprises a clamping assembly to releasablyclamp the at least one mounting flange to the one of the side bracemembers. The clamping assembly comprises a clamping bracket having teethformed along an upper edge of the clamping bracket. The teeth of theclamping bracket are adapted to mesh with teeth formed in the one of theside brace members to clamp the at least one mounting flange to the oneof the side brace members. The clamping assembly further comprises alatch member connected to the clamping bracket. The latch member and theclamping bracket are positioned within a vertical slot formed in the atleast one mounting flange, and moveable between a non-clamping positionin which the teeth of the clamping bracket are spaced from the teeth ofthe one of the side brace members and a clamping position in which theteeth of the clamping bracket mesh with the teeth of the one of the sidebrace members. A viewing slot may be formed in the at least one mountingflange to view whether the latch member and clamping bracket are in thenon-clamping position or the clamping position.

A positioning system may also be provided to position the at least onemounting flange within the enclosure. The positioning system includes atleast two openings formed in the at least one mounting flange, and atleast two different, alternating symbols which form a line of symbolsalong the one of the side brace members. The symbols and openings beingconstructed and arranged to show one symbol through one opening toindicate a position of the at least one mounting flange along the one ofthe side brace members. The positioning system includes three openingsand three different symbols, the symbols and openings being constructedand arranged to show a different symbol through a different opening whenmoving the at least one mounting flange an incremental distance alongthe length of the one of the side brace members. The at least onemounting flange further may include a hook member adapted to ride alonga lower edge of the one of the side brace members.

At least one cable organizer can be releasably mounted on one of theside brace members within an interior region of the enclosure. The cableorganizer is adapted to support and tie-off cables. The at least onecable organizer includes a clamping assembly to releasably clamp thecable organizer to the one of the side brace members. The clampingassembly includes a clamping bracket having teeth formed along an upperedge of the clamping bracket. The teeth of the clamping bracket areadapted to mesh with teeth formed in the one of the side brace membersto clamp the at least one cable organizer to the one of the side bracemembers. The clamping assembly further includes a fastener connected tothe clamping bracket. The fastener and the clamping bracket arepositioned within a vertical slot formed in the at least one cableorganizer, and moveable between a non-clamping position in which theteeth of the clamping bracket are spaced from the teeth of the one ofthe side brace members and a clamping position in which the teeth of theclamping bracket mesh with the teeth of the one of the side bracemembers.

Other embodiments include a roof releasably attached to the front andrear frames. The roof has a first end and a second end opposite thefirst end with at least one tab formed at the first end of the roof. Thetab is adapted to fit within a slot formed in one of the front and rearframes. The roof has at least one fastener provided at the second end ofthe roof, the fastener being adapted to be releasably inserted within anopening formed in the other frame of the front and rear frames. The roofmay be formed with at least one cutout provided along an edge of theroof to receive a cable therethrough. The arrangement is such that theroof is removable from the enclosure without disconnecting the cable. Acutout cover may be provided to selectively cover the at least onecutout. The cutout cover includes a plurality of keys constructed andarranged to selectively cover the cutout. Each key has a retaining clipto releasably attach the key to the roof. At least one spring finger,coupled to one of the roof and one of the front and rear frames,provides electrical continuity between the roof and one of the front andrear frames. In another embodiment, at least one roof bridge member isreleasably attached to the front and rear frames.

At least one leveling foot may be mounted on one of the front and rearframes. The leveling foot is adapted to level the enclosure, afterreceiving electronic components within the enclosure.

At least one hinge, coupled to the front frame, is adapted to releasablyhinge a front door to the front frame. Specifically, the front frameincludes a left side rail member and a right side rail member. The atleast one hinge is reversible to mount on one of the left side railmember and the right side rail member of the front frame. Each hingecomprises a pin releasably mounted on one of the left and right siderail members and a barrel portion, adapted to receive the pin therein,mounted on the door. The pin is spring-loaded to enable the door to beremoved without lifting the door off the hinges.

A second aspect of the invention is directed to an enclosure for housingelectronic components. The enclosure includes a frame assembly having afront frame defining a front of the enclosure, a rear frame, and aplurality of side brace members connecting the front frame and the rearframe. A first pair of side brace members is positioned on one side ofthe front and rear frames and a second pair of side brace members ispositioned on an opposite side of the front and rear frames. At leastone mounting flange is releasably mounted on at least one side bracemember of one of the first and second pairs of side brace members. Atleast one clamping assembly releasably clamps the at least one mountingflange to the at least one side brace member.

Embodiments of the enclosure may include at least one side brace memberhaving teeth formed along a length of the at least one side bracemember. The clamping assembly includes a clamping bracket having teethformed along at least one edge of the clamping bracket. Specifically,the teeth of the clamping bracket are adapted to mesh with teeth formedin the at least one side brace member to clamp the at least one mountingflange to the at least one side brace member. The clamping assemblyfurther includes a latch member connected to the clamping bracket. Thelatch member and the clamping bracket are positioned within a verticalslot formed in the at least one mounting flange, and moveable between anon-clamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket arespaced from the teeth of the at least one side brace member and aclamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket mesh withthe teeth of the at least one side brace member. The latch member has acam surface which engages the mounting flange to lock the clampingassembly in place. A viewing slot may be formed in the at least onemounting flange to view whether the latch member and clamping bracketare in the non-clamping position or the clamping position. A positioningsystem may be further provided to position the at least one mountingflange within the enclosure. The positioning system comprises at leasttwo openings formed in the at least one mounting flange, and at leasttwo different, alternating symbols which form a line of symbols alongone of the first and second pairs of side brace members. The symbols andopenings are constructed and arranged to show one symbol through oneopening to indicate the position of the at least one mounting flangealong the one of the first and second pairs of side brace members. Thepositioning system includes three openings and three different symbols.Specifically, the symbols and openings are constructed and arranged toshow a different symbol through a different opening when moving the atleast one mounting flange an incremental distance along a length of theone of the first and second pairs of side brace members.

At least one cable organizer may be releasably mounted on at least oneside brace member of one of the first and second pairs of side bracemembers within an interior region of the enclosure. The cable organizeris adapted to support and tie-off cables. The at least one cableorganizer includes a clamping assembly to releasably clamp the cableorganizer to the at least one side brace member. The clamping assemblyincludes a clamping bracket having teeth formed along at least one edgeof the clamping bracket. The teeth of the clamping bracket are adaptedto mesh with teeth formed in the at least one side brace member to clampthe at least one cable organizer to the at least one side brace member.The clamping assembly further includes a fastener connected to theclamping bracket. The fastener and the clamping bracket are positionedwithin a vertical slot formed in the cable organizer, and moveablebetween a non-clamping position in which the teeth of the clampingbracket are spaced from the teeth of the at least one side brace memberand a clamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket meshwith the teeth of the at least one side brace member.

A third aspect of the invention is directed to an enclosure comprising aframe assembly including a front frame defining a front of theenclosure, a rear frame, and a plurality of side brace membersconnecting the front frame and the rear frame. A first pair of sidebrace members is positioned on one side of the front and rear frames anda second pair of side brace members is positioned on an opposite side ofthe front and rear frames. At least one mounting flange is releasablymounted on at least one side brace member of one of the first and secondpairs of side brace members. The enclosure further includes apositioning system to position the at least one mounting flange withinthe enclosure.

Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include at least twodifferent, alternating symbols which form a line of symbols along the atleast one side brace member. The symbols are constructed and arranged toenable the positioning of the at least one mounting flange along the atleast one side brace member. The positioning system further includes atleast two openings formed in the at least one mounting flange.Specifically, the positioning system comprises three openings and threedifferent symbols. The symbols and openings are constructed and arrangedto show a different symbol through a different opening when moving theat least one mounting flange an incremental distance along a length ofthe at least one side brace member. The at least one mounting flangeincludes at least one clamping assembly to releasably clamp the at leastone mounting flange to the at least one side brace member. The at leastone side brace member includes teeth formed along a length of the atleast one side brace member. The clamping assembly comprises a clampingbracket having teeth formed along at least one edge of the clampingbracket. The teeth of the clamping bracket are adapted to mesh withteeth formed in the at least one side brace member to clamp the at leastone mounting flange to the at least one side brace member. The clampingassembly further comprises a latch member connected to the clampingbracket. The latch member and the clamping bracket are positioned withina vertical slot formed in the at least one mounting flange, and moveablebetween a non-clamping position in which the teeth of the clampingbracket are spaced from the teeth of the at least one side brace memberand a clamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket meshwith the teeth of the at least one side brace member. The latch memberhas a cam surface which engages the at least one mounting flange to lockthe clamping assembly in place. A viewing slot may be formed in the atleast one mounting flange to view whether the latch member and clampingbracket are in the non-clamping position or the clamping position.

A fourth aspect of the invention is directed to a kit for assembling atleast one enclosure of the type capable of housing electroniccomponents. The kit comprises components for assembling the at least oneenclosure including a front assembly having a front frame, the frontassembly defining a front of the enclosure, a rear assembly having arear frame, and at least two side brace members. Each side brace memberhas a first end and a second end. A plurality of connectors connect theat least two side brace members to the front assembly and the rearassembly.

Embodiments of the kit may include the provision of a connector havingan upper tab mounted on one of the front and rear frames, and a topflange formed on one of the at least two side brace members. The topflange has a downwardly opening channel adapted to receive the upper tabwhen connecting the one of the at least two side brace members to theone of the front and rear frames. Each connector further includes alower tab mounted on the one of the front and rear frames, the lower tabhaving a boss formed thereon, and an opening formed in the one of the atleast two side brace members below the top flange. The opening isadapted to receive the boss therein when connecting the one of the atleast two side brace members to the one of the front and rear frames.Each connector further includes a channel member mounted on the one ofthe at least two side brace members. The channel member is adapted toreceive the one of the front and rear frames therein when connecting theone of the at least two side brace members to the one of the front andrear frames. A threaded fastener is attached to the one of the front andrear frames. The channel member has a finger projecting from the channelmember, with the finger being adapted to hook onto the threadedfastener.

At least one mounting flange may be releasably mounted on one of the atleast two side brace members within an interior of the enclosure. The atleast one mounting flange is adapted to support equipment in theenclosure. The at least one mounting flange comprises at least oneclamping assembly to releasably clamp the mounting flange to the one ofthe at least two side brace members. Specifically, the one of the atleast two side brace members includes teeth formed along a length of theone of the at least two side brace members. The clamping assemblycomprises a clamping bracket having teeth formed along at least one edgeof the clamping bracket. The teeth of the clamping bracket are adaptedto mesh with the teeth formed in the one of the at least two side bracemembers to clamp the at least one mounting flange to the one of the atleast two side brace members. The clamping assembly further comprises alatch member connected to the clamping bracket. The latch member and theclamping bracket are positioned within a vertical slot formed in the atleast one mounting flange, and movable between a non-clamping positionin which the teeth of the clamping bracket are spaced from the teeth ofthe one of the at least two side brace members and a clamping positionin which the teeth of the clamping bracket mesh with the teeth of theone of the at least two side brace members. A viewing slot may be formedin the at least one mounting flange to view whether the latch member andclamping bracket are in the non-clamping position or the clampingposition.

Embodiments of the kit may further include a positioning system toposition the at least one mounting flange within the enclosure. Thepositioning system includes at least two openings formed in the at leastone mounting flange, and at least two different, alternating symbolswhich form a line of symbols along one of the at least two side bracemembers. The symbols and openings are constructed and arranged to showone symbol through one opening to indicate the position of the at leastone mounting flange along the one of the at least two side bracemembers. The positioning system includes three openings and threedifferent symbols. The symbols and openings are constructed and arrangedto show a different symbol through a different opening when moving theat least one mounting flange an incremental distance along a length ofthe one of the at least two side brace members.

At least one cable organizer may be releasably mounted on one of the atleast two side brace members within an interior region of the enclosure.The cable organizer is adapted to support and tie-off cables.

The components include components for assembling a plurality ofenclosures and a transport crate configured to contain the componentsduring at least one of transport and storage. The transport crate is abox-like structure having a plurality of dividers positioned within aninterior region of the transport crate to separate components for eachof the plurality of enclosures.

The front assembly further includes a front door hinged on the frontframe. At least one hinge is coupled to the front frame. The at leastone hinge is adapted to releasably hinge the front door to the frontframe. The at least one hinge comprises a pin releasably mounted on thefront frame, and a barrel portion, adapted to receive the pin therein,mounted on the door. The pin is spring-loaded to enable the door to beremoved without lifting the door off the at least one hinge. The rearassembly further includes at least one rear door hinged on the rearframe. At least one hinge is coupled to the rear frame. The at least onehinge is adapted to releasably hinge the rear door to the rear frame.

A fifth aspect of the invention includes a connector to releasablyconnect a first component to a second component. The connector includesan upper tab mounted on the first component, and a top flange formed onthe second component. The top flange has a downwardly opening channeladapted to receive the upper tab when connecting the first component tothe second component. A lower tab is mounted on the first component. Thelower tab has a boss formed thereon. An opening is formed in the secondcomponent below the top flange. The opening is adapted to receive theboss therein when connecting the one member to the other member.

Embodiments of the connector may further include a channel membermounted on the second component. The channel member is adapted toreceive the first component therein when connecting the first componentto the second component. The channel member has a finger projecting fromthe channel member with the finger being adapted to hook onto a fastenerattached to the first component. The fastener is adapted to be tightenedto secure the finger in place.

A sixth aspect of the invention is directed to a clamping assembly toreleasably clamp a first component to a second component. The clampingassembly includes a clamping bracket having teeth formed along at leastone edge of the clamping bracket. The teeth of the clamping bracket areadapted to mesh with teeth formed in the second component. The clampingassembly further includes a latch member connected to the clampingbracket. The latch member and the clamping bracket are positioned withina slot formed in the first component, and movable between a non-clampingposition in which the teeth of the clamping bracket are spaced from theteeth of the second component and a clamping position in which the teethof the clamping bracket mesh with the teeth of the second component toprevent any side-to-side movement of the first component with respect tothe second component.

Embodiments of the clamping assembly may include the provision of alatch member having a cam surface which engages the first component tolock the clamping assembly in place. A viewing slot may be formed in thefirst component to view whether the latch member and clamping bracketare in the non-clamping position or the clamping position. A positioningsystem may be further included to position the first component withrespect to the second component. Specifically, the positioning systemcomprises at least two openings formed in the first component, and atleast two different, alternating symbols which form a line of symbolsalong the second component. The symbols and openings are constructed andarranged to show one symbol through one opening to indicate a positionof the first component along the second component. In one embodiment,the positioning system comprises three openings and three differentsymbols. The symbols and openings are constructed and arranged to show adifferent symbol through a different opening when moving the firstcomponent an incremental distance along the length of the secondcomponent.

A seventh aspect of the invention is directed to a method of assemblingcomponents of an enclosure from a kit comprising the components. Thecomponents include a front rectangular frame, a rear rectangular frame,and four side brace members. Each side brace member has opposite ends.The method comprises, for each side brace member, connecting one end ofthe side brace member to a respective corner of the front frame, andconnecting an opposite end of the side brace member to a respectivecorner of the rear frame. The step of connecting each end of a sidebrace member to a respective corner of one of the front frame and therear frame comprises selecting at least one of positioning a flangeprovided on one of the side brace member and one of the front frame andthe rear frame over a tab provided on the other of the side brace memberand one of the front frame and the rear frame, inserting a boss formedon a second tab provided on one of the frame and the side brace memberinto an opening formed the other of the frame and the side brace member,and positioning the frame within a channel member mounted on the sidebrace member.

Connecting each end of a side brace member to a respective corner of oneof the front frame and the rear frame may further include hooking afinger of the channel member over a fastener secured to the one of thefront frame and the rear frame. The method may also include releasablyclamping a mounting flange to a side brace member, and positioning themounting flange within the enclosure with a positioning system.

An eighth aspect of the invention is directed to an electrical connectorfor connecting an electrical component to a second component. Theelectrical connector includes a U-shaped body adapted to lie along aplane and having a pair of oppositely extending flanges. The flanges areadapted to be secured to the second component. A tab is integrallyformed with the body and so that the tab extends along the same plane asthe body. The arrangement being such that the body protects the tabduring use.

Embodiments of the electrical connector may include means for attachingthe electrical connector to the second component. Specifically, themeans for attaching the electrical connector to the second componentincludes a weld. The means for attaching the electrical connector to thesecond component may further include an opening formed in one of theflanges. The opening is sized for receiving a fastener therein. Apositioning tab is formed on the other flange. The arrangement is suchthat the positioning tab is received within a slotted opening formed inthe second component.

A ninth aspect of the invention is directed to an enclosure for housingelectronic components. The enclosure includes a front assembly having afront frame, the front assembly defining a front of the enclosure, arear assembly having a rear frame, at least two side brace members, eachside brace member having a first end and a second, opposite end, firstconnector means to releasably connect the first end of one of the sidebrace members to the front frame, and second connector means toreleasably connect the second end of the one of the side brace membersto the rear frame.

Embodiments of the first and second connector means for the enclosuremay include an upper tab mounted on one of the front and rear frames,and a top flange formed on the one of the side brace members. The topflange has a downwardly opening channel adapted to receive the upper tabwhen connecting the one of the side brace members to the one of thefront and rear frames. Each of the first connector means and the secondconnector means may further include a lower tab mounted on the one ofthe front and rear frames. The lower tab has a boss formed thereon. Anopening is formed in the one of the side brace members below the topflange. The opening is adapted to receive the boss therein whenconnecting the one of the side brace members to the one of the front andrear frames. Each of the first connector means and the second connectormeans may further include a channel member mounted on the one of theside brace members. The channel member is adapted to receive the one ofthe front and rear frames therein when connecting the one of the sidebrace members to the one of the front and rear frames. Each of the firstconnector means and the second connector means may further include afastener attached to the one of the front and rear frames. The channelmember has a finger projecting from the channel member. The finger isadapted to hook onto the fastener.

A tenth aspect of the invention is directed to an enclosure for housingelectronic components. The enclosure includes a frame assembly having afront frame defining a front of the enclosure, a rear frame, and aplurality of side brace members connecting the front frame and the rearframe. A first pair of side brace members is positioned on one side ofthe front and rear frames and a second pair of side brace members ispositioned on an opposite side of the front and rear frames. At leastone mounting flange is releasably mounted on at least one side bracemember of one of the first and second pairs of side brace members.Clamping means is provided to releasably clamp the at least one mountingflange to the at least one side brace member.

Embodiments of the enclosure further include the provision of the atleast one side brace member having teeth formed along a length of the atleast one side brace member. The clamping means comprises a clampingbracket having teeth formed along at least one edge of the clampingbracket. The teeth of the clamping bracket are adapted to mesh withteeth formed in the at least one side brace member to clamp the at leastone mounting flange to the at least one side brace member. The clampingmeans further comprises a latch member connected to the clampingbracket. The latch member and the clamping bracket are positioned withina slot formed in the at least one mounting flange and moveable between anon-clamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket arespaced from the teeth of the at least one side brace member and aclamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket mesh withthe teeth of the at least one side brace member. The latch member has acam surface which engages the mounting flange to lock the clampingassembly in place. A viewing slot is formed in the at least one mountingflange to view whether the latch member and clamping bracket are in thenon-clamping position or the clamping position.

An eleventh aspect of the invention is directed to an enclosure forhousing electronic components. The enclosure includes a frame assemblycomprising a front frame defining a front of the enclosure, a rearframe, and a plurality of side brace members connecting the front frameand the rear frame. A first pair of side brace members is positioned onone side of the front and rear frames and a second pair of side bracemembers is positioned on an opposite side of the front and rear frames.At least one mounting flange is releasably mounted on at least one sidebrace member of one of the first and second pairs of side brace members.Positioning means is provided to position the at least one mountingflange within the enclosure.

Embodiments of the enclosure include the provision of the positioningmeans having at least two openings formed in the at least one mountingflange, and at least two different, alternating symbols which form aline of symbols along a side brace member of one of the first and secondpairs of the side brace members. The symbols and openings areconstructed and arranged to show one symbol through one opening toindicate the position of the at least one mounting flange along the sidebrace member. Specifically, the positioning means comprises threeopenings and three different symbols. The symbols and openings areconstructed and arranged to show a different symbol through a differentopening when moving the at least one mounting flange an incrementaldistance along a length of the one of the side brace member.

A twelfth aspect of the invention is directed to a method of assemblingcomponents of an enclosure from a kit comprising the components. Thecomponents include a front rectangular frame, a rear rectangular frame,and four side brace members. Each side brace member has opposite ends.The method includes, for each side brace member, connecting one end ofthe side brace member to a respective corner of the front frame, andconnecting an opposite end of the side brace member to a respectivecorner of the rear frame. The method further includes positioning amounting flange within the enclosure with a positioning system, andreleasably clamping the mounting flange to at least one side bracemember.

Embodiments of the method may further include releasably clamping twomounting flanges within the enclosure in facing relation with oneanother to at least two side brace members.

A thirteenth aspect of the invention is directed to a method ofproviding multiple enclosures, each enclosure comprising a kit ofcomponents including a front rectangular frame, a rear rectangularframe, four side brace members, a roof, and at least two mountingflanges. The method includes arranging the components of each kit in acompact configuration, and disposing the multiple enclosures in atransport crate.

Embodiments of the method may further include transporting the transportcrate to an end user, assembling the components of each kit in the formof an enclosure, and/or storing the transport crate. The step ofarranging the components of each kit in a compact configuration mayinclude positioning the side brace members, roof and at least twomounting flanges between the front rectangular frame and the rearrectangular frame.

A fourteenth aspect of the invention is directed to an enclosureincluding a frame constructed and arranged to define an interior region.The frame has at least one support member with a plurality of threadedopenings formed therein. The enclosure further includes a plurality ofleveling feet mounted on the at least one support member of the frame.The leveling feet are adapted to level the enclosure after receivingelectronic components within the enclosure. Each leveling foot includesa threaded rod threadably received within the threaded openings of thesupport member, and a foot portion pivotably connected to the threadedrod. The threaded rod is constructed and arranged to raise and lower theleveling foot by manipulating the leveling rod above the leveling foot.

A fifteenth aspect of the invention is directed to enclosure for housingelectronic components having a door and a frame constructed and arrangedto define an interior region. The frame includes a door frame assemblyhaving a top rail member, a bottom rail member spaced below the top railmember, a left side rail member adapted to connect the top rail memberand the side rail member, and a right side rail member adapted toconnect the top rail member and the side rail member. The enclosurefurther includes hinge means for selectively hinging the door on one ofthe left side rail member and the right side rail member. The door isoperable between an open position to allow access into the interiorregion of the enclosure and a closed position to prevent access into theinterior region of the enclosure. The hinge means is constructed andarranged to prevent the door from being removed from the hinge meanswhen the door is in a closed position.

Embodiments of the enclosure may include the provision of the hingemeans being reversible to attach to one of the left side rail member andthe right side rail member. Specifically, the hinge means includes a pinportion releasably mounted on one of the left and right side railmembers and the door, and a barrel portion, adapted to receive the pintherein, mounted on the other of the left and right side rail membersand the door.

A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is directed to a kit forassembling at least one enclosure of the type capable of housingelectronic components. The kit includes components for assembling the atleast one enclosure including a front assembly having a front frame, thefront assembly defining a front of the enclosure, a rear assembly havinga rear frame, and at least two side brace members. Each side bracemember has a first end connected to one of the front frame and the rearframe and a second end connected to the other of the front frame and therear frame. At least one mounting flange is releasably mounted on one ofthe at least two side brace members within an interior of the enclosure.The at least one mounting flange is adapted to support equipment in theenclosure. The kit further includes a data port assembly secured to themounting flange, the data port assembly having at least one data port.

In one embodiment of the kit, the mounting flange has an opening formedtherein, and the data port assembly includes an insert constructed andarranged to fit within the opening to secure the insert to the mountingflange. The data port assembly further includes a connector headreceived by the insert, the connector head having the at least one dataport.

The present invention will be more fully understood after a review ofthe following figures, detailed description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is madeto the figures which are incorporated herein by reference and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an enclosure of an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the enclosure illustrated inFIG. 1 in a pre-assembled condition;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a connector of components ofthe enclosure of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the components connected toone another;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the enclosure with mounting flanges ofan embodiment of the present invention illustrated in a pre-installedposition;

FIGS. 6-11 are enlarged views of a clamping assembly of an embodiment ofthe present invention used to mount the mounting flanges;

FIG. 11A is an enlarged perspective view of a mounting flange of anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11B is an enlarged perspective view of a mounting flange of anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11C is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting flange shown inFIG. 11B taken from another perspective;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the enclosure with cable organizers ofan embodiment of the present invention in an installed position;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the cable organizerillustrated in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a cover panel or roof of the enclosureof an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 illustrating the roof in apre-installed position;

FIG. 15A is a bottom perspective view of an end of the roof;

FIG. 16A is an enlarged top perspective view of a cutout cover of anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16B is a bottom perspective view of the cutout cover illustrated inFIG. 16A;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a pair of roof bridge members ofan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view of an end of the roof bridgemember shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the enclosure illustrating side panelsof a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a side panel of an embodiment of thepresent invention in a pre-installed position;

FIG. 20A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the side panel and aside brace member shown in a pre-installed position;

FIG. 20B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the side panel shown inan installed position on the side brace member;

FIGS. 20C and 20D are enlarged perspective views of a lock assembly ofan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of the enclosure showing aleveling foot of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21A is an enlarged bottom perspective view of the enclosure showingthe leveling foot and a caster of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 21B is an enlarged perspective view of the leveling foot;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a door assembly of an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge of the door assembly;

FIG. 23A is a perspective view of the door assembly prior to itsattachment to a door frame;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a rear door assembly of an embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 25 and 26 are front and rear perspective views of a lock assemblyof an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged perspective view of an electrical connectorhaving a tab adapted to receive an electrical connection;

FIG. 27A is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG.27 mounted on a panel;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of an electrical connector ofanother preferred embodiment;

FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view of a kit of an embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a transport crate of an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the purposes of illustration only, and not to limit the generality,the present invention will now be described in detail with reference tothe accompanying figures. This invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or being carried out in various ways. Also the phraseology andterminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should notbe regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” “having,”“containing” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant toencompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there isgenerally indicated at 10 an enclosure in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the present invention to house electronic equipment, suchas data processing and networking equipment (e.g., servers, serverblades, associated power distribution equipment, etc.) andtelecommunication equipment. In one embodiment of the present invention,the enclosure 10 is provided in the form of a kit, which can be easilyassembled with the use of simple tools, e.g., a screwdriver, if any, andwithout difficult manipulation. When assembled, the enclosure 10 is arectangular, box-like structure that is configured such that it can beassembled with or connected to other, similarly-shaped structures. Theenclosure 10 has a front door assembly 12, a rear door assembly 14, apair of side walls 16, 18, a bottom wall 20 and a top cover or “roof”panel 22. As will be disclosed in greater detail below, the enclosure 10is adjustably configurable to accommodate equipment having a variety ofshapes and sizes. In addition, as alluded to above, the enclosure 10 canbe conveniently broken down and disassembled for transport or storage.In at least one embodiment, the equipment enclosure may accommodatestandard nineteen inch rack mountable equipment.

Referring to FIG. 2, a frame assembly of the enclosure 10 is generallyindicated at 24. As shown, in at least one embodiment, the front andrear door assemblies 12, 14, which may be provided as part of the kit,which will be described in greater detail below, are completelyassembled. More particularly, the front door assembly 12 includes afront door 26, and a front door frame defined by top and bottom railmembers 28, 30, and two side rail members 32, 34, with the front doorbeing hinged on one of the side rail members, e.g., side rail member 32.The rear door assembly 14 has two outwardly opening rear doors 36, 38,and a rear door frame defined by top and bottom rail members 40, 42, andtwo side rail members 44, 46, each rear door being hinged on arespective side rail member. The manner in which the front door 26 andrear doors 36, 38 are hinged on their respective side rail members(i.e., side rail members 32, 44 and 46) and locked to provide a secureenclosure will be discussed in greater detail below. Also, it should beunderstood that the front door can be installed on the rear door frameand the rear doors can be installed on the front door frame, dependingon the desired configuration of the enclosure.

The front and rear door assembles 12, 14 are attached to one another bysix side brace members, each indicated at 48. It should be understoodthat fewer or more than six side braces can be provided to assemble thefront and rear door assemblies. For example, for shorter enclosures,four side braces are used to attach the front and rear door assemblies.As shown, two of the six side brace members 48 are provided to attachthe door assemblies 12, 14 at the top of the front and rear door frames.Similarly, two side brace members 48 attach the door assemblies 12, 14at the bottom of the front and rear door frames. Lastly, two side bracemembers 48 are positioned approximately halfway along the length of theside rail members of the front and rear door frames. In addition toconnecting the front and rear door assemblies 12, 14 to one another, theattachment of the ends of the side brace members 48 to their respectivefront and rear door assemblies, as will be discussed in greater detailbelow, provide the requisite bracing and support to the enclosure 10,which enables the enclosure to house relatively heavy articles, such asservers and server blades.

The rail members of the front and rear door assemblies 12, 14 and theside brace members 48 are fabricated from any suitable lightweight,rigid material, such as, but not limited to, steel or aluminum. Itshould be noted that the chosen material, in addition to beinglightweight and rigid in construction, should be reasonable in cost andeasy to fabricate. In at least one embodiment of the present invention,it is desirable to use materials having a conductive finish to allowgrounding of the electronic components housed within the enclosure 10and to allow all conductive portions of the enclosure 10 to be grounded.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, and more particularly to FIG. 3, the manner inwhich the side brace members 48 are attached to the front and rear doorassemblies 12, 14 will be described in greater detail. Although FIGS. 3and 4 illustrate the connection of the upper left-hand side brace member48 as it is attached to the top rail member 40 and the side rail member44 of the rear door assembly 14, the principles described herein applyto the connection of the ends of the other side brace members 48 totheir respective frame members. As shown, a connector 50 comprises twotabs 52, 54 mounted on the left side rail member 44 of the rear doorassembly 14, e.g., by a welding process. The upper tab 52 is formed fromblank material whereas the lower tab 54 has an outwardly projecting boss56 formed thereon. The boss 56 is formed to have a centrally locatedthreaded opening 58, the purpose of which will be described below.Although it is envisioned that the boss 56 embodies a press-on nut, theboss can be integrally formed in the lower tab 54.

The side brace member 48 has a top flange 60, which defines a downwardlyopening channel 62 adapted to receive the upper tab 52 in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 4. An opening 64 is formed in the side brace member48 adjacent an end 66 of the side brace member just below the top flange60. The position of the opening 64 is such that it is aligned with, andadapted to receive therein, the boss 56 when the side brace member 48 isconnected to the rear door assembly 14 in the manner illustrated in FIG.4. The boss 56 and the opening 64 are constructed to accurately positionand square the side brace member on frame of the door assembly. Onceassembled, a suitable threaded fastener (not shown), such as a machinescrew, can be used to securely attach the side brace member 48 to therear door assembly 14 by inserting the threaded fastener through theopening 64 and threading the fastener within the threaded opening 58provided in the boss 56.

To provide further stability, each connector 50 also comprises aU-shaped channel member 68 having an inwardly projecting finger 70 thatis provided below the opening 64. The channel member 68 is adapted tofit around the left side rail member 44 of the door assembly 14, whilethe finger 70 slips over and hooks a threaded fastener 72 (e.g., amachine screw). As shown, the threaded fastener 72 is suitably fastenedto the left side rail member 44 in the manner depicted in FIG. 4 so thata head of the threaded fastener is spaced from the side rail member.Other embodiments may include, especially when the strength of theconnection is not a concern, using a slot and tab arrangement, such as abridge lance or a shoulder rivet. Specifically, the finger 70 is slippedover a threaded portion of the threaded fastener 72 and is secured inplace between the head of the threaded fastener and the side rail member44. Once assembled, the threaded fastener 72 can be tightened to furthersecure the side brace member 48 to the rear door assembly 14.

Referring to FIG. 5, after assembling the front and rear door assemblies12, 14 with the six side brace members 48 (or four side brace members,as required), several mounting flanges, each generally indicated at 74,are mounted on the side brace members. It should be understood thatalthough the mounting flanges 74 are shown outside the enclosure in FIG.5 for illustration purposes, the mounting flanges are mounted within theinterior region of the enclosure 10. Also, although four mountingflanges 74 are illustrated in FIG. 5, it should be understood that anynumber of mounting flanges can be provided to optimize the interiorregion defined by the enclosure 10 and to provide the requisite supportfor the electrical components housed within the enclosure. The mountingflanges 74 are adapted to support electronic components and/or shelvesthat support the electrical components.

Turning to FIG. 6, each mounting flange 74 is generally L-shaped inconstruction, having one leg portion 76 adapted to be attached in themanner described below to the side brace members 48. The other legportion 78 of the mounting flange 74 has a plurality of verticallyaligned openings 80 as defined by EIA-310-D, which are designed to mountservers and/or accessories in the well known manner. The openings 80 canalso be threaded to receive support members directly therein.Additionally, the other leg 78 has a plurality of cutouts 82 adapted totie-off objects within the interior of the enclosure 10. Although themounting flanges 74 are designed to support electrical components (e.g.,servers) within the interior region of the enclosure 10, they also mayprovide additional stability to the enclosure since each mounting flangeis capable of being secured to three side brace members 48 (or two sidebrace members, or more than three side brace members, when soconfigured).

With reference to FIGS. 6-11, the connection of the mounting flanges 74to the side brace members 48 will be described in detail. Each mountingflange 74 is provided with three clamping assemblies (when three sidebraces are provided), each generally indicated at 84, one for each sidebrace member 48. Each clamping assembly 84 is disposed within a verticalslot 86 formed in the leg portion 76 of the mounting flange 74, and isconstructed to move longitudinally along the length of the slot. Thus,one clamping assembly 84 is positioned adjacent to the upper end of themounting flange 74, a second clamping assembly is positioned adjacent tothe lower end of the mounting flange, and the third clamping assembly ispositioned at the middle of the mounting flange. The clamping assembly84 includes a clamping bracket 88 and a latch member 90 connected to theclamping bracket by a threaded fastener 92 and mating nut fastener 94(FIG. 7). As described in greater detail below, the latch member 90 ispivotable between a locked position in which the clamping assembly issecured to the leg portion 76 of the mounting flange 74 and an unlockedposition in which the clamping assembly is movable within the slot 86for allowing the mounting flange to be moved to another location withinthe enclosure.

The latch member 90 is illustrated in FIG. 6 in a locked position inwhich the clamping assembly 84 is tightened to ensure there is nomovement of the latch member up and down within the slot 86 (see arrowA). Although not shown, by simply pivoting the latch member 90 so thatit is generally disposed perpendicular to the plane of the mountingflange 74, the clamping bracket 88 can be released to the unlockedposition so that the clamping assembly 84 moves up and down within theslot 86. Specifically, the latch member 90 has a cam surface 96, whichengages the body of the mounting flange 74 when pivoting the latchmember to the position illustrated in FIG. 6, thereby drawing theclamping bracket 88 toward the mounting flange. The result is that themounting flange 74 is tightly captured between the clamping bracket 88and the latch member 90. The latch member 90 may be provided by SouthCo,Inc. under model no. 19-99-271. A rubber washer 98, disposed between thenut fastener 94 and the clamping bracket 88, provides the requisiteresiliency to enable the cam action of the latch member 90 to lock theclamping bracket in place. It should be noted that a person havingordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of the instant disclosure,could employ another type of fastener, such as a thumb screw, to securethe mounting flange 74 between the clamping bracket 88 and the latchmember 90.

Further, as illustrated in the drawings, each of the clamping assembliesincludes a hook member 100 that is adapted to ride along a lower edge102 of the side brace member 48 as shown in FIG. 11. The hook members100 of the clamping assemblies 84 enable the sliding action of themounting flange 74 along the side brace members 48 when positioning themounting flange. Specifically, the hook members 100 function asload-bearing members that carry the weight of any equipment supported bythe mounting flanges on to the frame assembly. The clamping brackets 88prevent the mounting flanges 74 from moving from the front of theenclosure 10 to the rear of the enclosure and vice versa. In oneembodiment of the invention, the hook members 100 can be designed sothat any two hook members provided on an individual mounting flange 74can carry the full weight of the mounting flange and any equipmentsupported by the mounting flange. This makes the mounting flange 74easier to position and easier to manipulate during assembly of theenclosure 10.

The arrangement is such that the mounting flanges 74 may be secured atdifferent locations along the side brace members 48 based on the depthof the electronic equipment to be contained within the enclosure 10.Specifically, each hook member 100 is slid over the edge 102 of itsrespective side brace member 48, the hook member facilitating theside-to-side sliding movement of the mounting flange 74 along the sidebrace members. The upper surface of the clamping bracket 88 has aplurality of teeth 104 formed therein, which mate with teeth 106 formednear the upper edge of the side brace member 48. In the embodimentshown, the incremental distance between each tooth is 0.250 inch. Thus,by moving the clamping bracket 88 one tooth length in either direction,the position of the mounting flange 74 is moved 0.250 inch. It should beunderstood that the size of the teeth 104, 106 and the incrementaldistance between the teeth can be manipulated to achieve various spacingbetween teeth. Also, the mating teeth can alternatively be constructedso that the teeth are formed along the bottom edge of the clampingbracket and along the lower edge of the side brace member. In addition,the teeth can be formed along an edge of the hook member. One advantageassociated with this construction is that, unlike prior art racks, themounting flanges of an embodiment of the present invention can beadjusted over the entire depth of the rack without removing anyfasteners.

To lock the clamping assembly 84 in place, the clamping assembly israised by pivoting the latch member 90 so that it is unlocked, andlifting the latch member so that the teeth 104 of the clamping bracket88 mesh with the teeth 106 of the side brace member 48. The mating ofthe teeth 104, 106 prevents any side-to-side movement of the mountingflange 74 with respect to the side brace member 48. Next, the latchmember 90 is rotated in the manner described above so that it generallylies along the same plane as the mounting flange 74 as shown in FIG. 9to secure the clamping assembly 84 to the mounting flange. The mating ofthe teeth 104 of the clamping bracket 88 with the teeth 106 of the sidebrace member 48 prevents any lateral movement of the mounting flange 74with respect to the side brace member. An oval slot 108 serves as aviewing window to enable an installer to ensure that the teeth 104 ofthe clamping bracket 88 mesh with the teeth 106 of the side brace member48. This feature is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. In FIG.8, the teeth 104, 106 are separated from one another, whereas in FIG. 9,the teeth are engaged. The slot 108 can be configured to be any shape solong as the teeth show through the opening created by the slot.

In typical racks of the prior art that include adjustable mountingflanges, it is often difficult to precisely align the mounting flangessuch that each of the back flanges are aligned along the same rear planewithin the rack with each other and each of the front flanges arealigned along the same front plane within the rack with each other.Without proper alignment, it may be difficult or not possible to mountequipment to the flanges. In prior racks, it is not uncommon to use atape measure or a similar device to properly align mounting flanges. Itis awkward to use such devices in the confined space within a rack.Turning now to FIGS. 8-10, as will now be described, in at least oneembodiment of the present invention, a system and method for accuratelypositioning the mounting flange 74 at a desired position along thelength of the side brace members 48 is provided to enable a personassembling the enclosure 10 to accurately and easily position themounting flanges 74 within the enclosure.

As shown, a plurality of symbols, each indicated at 110, are spacedequidistant along the upper edge of each of the side brace members 48.In addition, the mounting flange 74, at each clamping assembly 84,includes three circular openings 112. The openings 112 are spaced suchthat at any one time only one symbol appears in only one of the threeopenings. There are provided four symbols 110, e.g., a star, a circle, arectangle and an inverted triangle. Any distinctive symbol may beprovided and still fall within the scope of the invention. In oneembodiment, the star appears twice on each side brace member and is usedto identify an initial, factory set-up position. In this embodiment, theinitial factory setting is the position of the mounting flange where thestar is visible through the middle opening 112. The three symbols 110,other than the star symbol, alternate to form a line of symbols alongthe length of the side brace member 48. In one embodiment, the symbols110 are arranged from left to right in FIG. 8 as follows: invertedtriangle, circle, rectangle, inverted triangle, circle, rectangle, etc.The arrangement is such that each symbol 110 can be embossed, stamped,printed on or cut into the side brace member 48 so that each symbol isdisposed between adjacent teeth 106 of the side brace member with threeteeth between adjacent symbols. The spacing between each opening 112 isequivalent to the space between four teeth.

In FIG. 10, the star symbol appears in the center opening 112. Themovement of the clamping assembly 84 one tooth length in eitherdirection (left or right) results in the viewing of a symbol 110 ineither the left-hand or right-hand opening 112. For example, by movingthe clamping assembly 84 one tooth length to the left, the invertedtriangle symbol 110 is visible through the right-hand opening 112 (asshown in the drawings). Alternatively, if the clamping assembly 84 ismoved one tooth length to the right, the circle symbol 110 is visiblethrough the left-hand opening 112. The provision of the symbols 110enables the person assembling the enclosure 10 to accurately positionthe mounting flange 74 vertically within the enclosure without having tomeasure its location along the length of each side brace member 48.Given the length of each mounting flange 74, e.g., up to seventy-twoinches in length, and in some embodiments, even longer, it is relativelyeasy to align and securely mount the mounting flange in a true, verticalposition with the aid of the positioning system. In addition, thepositioning system enables the installer to accurately assembleoppositely positioned mounting flanges 74 within the interior of theenclosure 10, without having to measure the relative position of themounting flange from its adjacent end wall, e.g., rear door assembly 14.

As discussed above, the provision of three symbols 110 viewable throughone of three openings 112 enables the assembler to easily view andvertically align the mounting flange with respect to the side bracemembers 48. Of course, any number of shapes and/or symbols 110 andopenings 112 may be provided depending on the size of the teeth 104,106. For example, a positioning system incorporating two symbols withtwo openings may be suitable for a clamping assembly having relativelylarge teeth. In this instance, two teeth are positioned between eachsymbol and three teeth are positioned between each opening. Theprovision of three openings 112 is particularly desirable with theconfiguration of the embodiment of the present invention since there islittle or no risk that a person assembling the mounting flange 74 willinadvertently align matching symbols 110 due to the fact that it will beobvious that the mounting flanges are not spaced the same distance fromthe end walls, e.g., the rear door assembly 14. With the positioningsystem of an embodiment of the present invention, the spacing betweenthe openings is one tooth length greater than the spacing between thesymbols, wherein the number of symbols is equal to the number of teethbetween the symbols.

With the mounting flanges 74 assembled, shelving clips (sometimesreferred to as a caged nut), indicated at 114 in FIG. 11A, can beinserted into the openings 80 formed in the other leg portion 78 of themounting flange to support shelves or even the electrical componentsprovided they are properly configured. It should be understood thatelectrical components can be mounted at nearly any desired elevationwithin the enclosure 10 due to the adjustability provided by theplurality of openings 80 formed in the leg portion 78 of the mountingflange 74. It should also be understood that any number of clips 114 canbe provided to accommodate equipment and/or shelves. As shown in FIG.12, two mounting flanges 74 are attached to their respective side bracemembers 48 near the front door assembly 12 of the enclosure 10 and twoadditional mounting flanges are provided proximate to, but spaced fromthe rear door assembly 14. This configuration supports the electricalcomponents near the front door 26 of the enclosure 10. In addition, thisconfiguration enables cords, cables, etc., which are attached to thebacks of the electrical components, to extend within the space definedby the second pair of mounting flanges 74 and the rear door assembly 14.The flexibility provided by the adjustable mounting flanges allows theflanges to be moved to the back of the enclosure, if it is desired tohave more room in the front of the enclosure.

Turning now to FIGS. 11B and 11C, there is generally indicated at 301 adata port assembly comprising an insert 303 constructed to hold aconnector head 305 having a plurality of data ports, each indicated at307. The insert 303 is received within an opening 309, which is sized tosecurely fix the insert to the mounting flange 74. Reference is made toU.S. application Ser. No. 10/901,460, entitled MULTI-PORT CABLING SYSTEMAND METHOD, filed on Jul. 28, 2004, which is assigned to the assignee ofthe present invention and incorporated herein by reference. An advantageprovided by securing the connector head 305 to the mounting flange 74 isthat it quickly and efficiently enables the mounting flange to offermultiple data ports 307. This enables the person assembling theenclosure 10 to connect electrical components to one another and toequipment outside the enclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, two cable organizers, each generallyindicated at 116, are mounted adjacent to the rear door assembly 14 onthe side brace members 48 in a manner similar to the mounting flanges74. Each cable organizer 116 is provided for mounting power strips,cables, cords, and otherwise to provide tie-off points to mount objectswithin the interior of the enclosure 10. In one embodiment, each cableorganizer 116 is fabricated from the same material as the mountingflanges 74 and includes a wall portion 118 and a pair of inwardlyprojecting flange portions 120, 122. A plurality of cutouts 124 areformed (e.g., by stamping or some other similar process) in the wallportion 118 of the cable organizer 116 for tying off cables and forreceiving containment brackets. The flange portions 120, 122 providestrength and rigidity to the cable organizer 116. As shown in FIG. 12,the cable organizers 116 are disposed adjacent the rear door assembly14; however, it should be understood that the cable organizers may belocated within the interior region of the enclosure 10 in any otherposition suitable for mounting components. For example, cable organizersmay be positioned adjacent the front door assembly instead of the reardoor assembly, or both.

The cable organizer 116 includes at least one and preferably three (onefor each side brace member) clamping assemblies 126 having a clampingbracket 128 which is secured in place by a threaded fastener 130. Teeth132 are formed on the upper edge of the clamping bracket 128, the teethmeshing with the teeth 106 of the side brace member 48 in the samemanner as the clamping assembly 84 of the mounting flange 74.Specifically, the clamping assembly 126 is disposed within a verticalslot 134 formed in the wall portion 118 of the cable organizer 116 andis locked in place by turning the threaded fastener 130 with a tool,e.g., a star wrench, once the teeth 132 of the clamping bracket 128 matewith the teeth 106 of the side brace member 48. Other fasteners, such asthe clamping assembly 84 described above, could alternatively beemployed; however, an advantage associated with the clamping assembly126 is that the threaded fastener 130 is relatively flush with the wallportion 118 of the cable organizer 116 and does not project within theinterior region of the enclosure 10.

As shown in FIG. 13, two horizontally disposed, elongated slots, eachindicated at 136, are formed in the wall portion 118 of the cableorganizer 116 to view the mating of the teeth 132 of the clampingbracket 128 with the teeth 106 of the side brace member 48. Also formedin the wall portion 118 of the cable organizer 116 are four smaller,circular openings, each indicated at 138, that are provided for viewingthe symbols 110 in a similar manner as the positioning system providedfor the mounting flanges 74.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate the cover or roof 22 of the enclosure 10 ofan embodiment of the present invention. The roof 22 is fabricated fromsuitable material in one embodiment, and formed with a plurality ofgenerally U-shaped cutouts 140 which provide openings through whichcables and cords can be run to equipment in the enclosure 10. The use ofU-shaped cutouts allows an installer to install cables and cords withthe roof removed to provide greater access and to later install the roofwithout disconnecting any of the cables and cords. Another purpose ofthe roof 22 is for supporting cable troughs, which are secured to theroof through any of the small openings formed in the roof. One suchcable trough is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/284,835, entitled TOOLLESS MOUNTING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANADJUSTABLE SCALABLE RACK POWER SYSTEM, filed Oct. 31, 2002, which isassigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporatedherein by reference.

The roof 22 is rectangular in shape and formed at one of its ends, end142, with a pair of tabs, each indicated at 144, that are inserted intoslots (not shown) formed in the top rail member 28 of the front doorassembly 12. Once inserted, the roof 22 is seated within the framedefined by the top rail members 28, 40 of the front and rear doorassemblies 12, 14, respectively. With reference to FIG. 15A, twospring-loaded pins, each indicated at 146, are provided at the other endof the roof 22, the pins being received within respective openings forproviding releasable attachment of the roof to the frame. It should beunderstood that the tabs 144 can be replaced with pins, similar to pins146. The pins 146, in one embodiment, are provided by SouthCo, Inc.under part no. 56-99421-60, and can be fabricated from steel, aluminumor plastic, for example. It should be understood that any suitablefastener can secure the roof 22 to the frame. Additionally, the roof 22can be rotated 180 degrees to change the location of the cutouts.

As illustrated in FIG. 15A, a strip of spring fingers 147, which areprovided along the side of the roof 22, are preferably fabricated from aconductive, flexible material with a conductive finish, such aselectro-plated spring steel, zinc plated beryllium copper, or galvaneelto provide electrical continuity for grounding between the roof 22 andthe frame assembly 24. The spring fingers 147 may be provided byChomerics of Parker Hannifin Corporation under part no.81-01-11831-3000.

Referring to FIGS. 16A and 16B, there is generally designated at 148 acutout cover adapted to be installed over one of the cutouts 140 of theroof 22. As shown, the cutout cover 148 includes a hinge 150 and aplurality of keys, each indicated at 152, that are suitably attached tothe hinge. Each key 152 is pivotable about the hinge 150, and isreleasably attached to the edge of the cutout 140 adjacent the hinge 150by a pair of retaining clips, each indicated at 156. FIG. 16Billustrates the retaining clips 156 engaging the edge of the cutout 140to secure the key 152 and thus the cutout cover 148 in place. The cutoutcover 148 is capable of achieving complete or partial coverage of one ofthe cutouts 140 by simply opening selective keys 152 of the cutoutcover. In one embodiment of the invention, the key can be designed to betorn off the cutout cover.

Turning now to FIGS. 17 and 18, in another embodiment, in which it isdesired to have a greater open area in the top of the enclosure foraccess into and/or cooling of the interior of the enclosure 10, two roofbridge members, each indicated at 158, are provided in the place of theroof 22. As shown in FIG. 18, the end of each roof bridge member 158 isprovided with a pair of mounting posts 160, 162 that are adapted toattach the end of the roof bridge member with its respective top railmember of the front and rear door assemblies. Any other type offastener, such as the spring-loaded pins described above, can beprovided for releasably attaching the roof bridge members 158 in place.The roof bridge members 158 are adapted to support cables and cords, andallow maximum access to the interior region of the enclosure 10.Additionally, the roof bridge members 158 are adapted to support cabletroughs on top of the enclosure 10.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, each of the side walls 16, 18 may beenclosed by two side panels, each indicated at 166, which are releasablyattached to the frame assembly 24 of the enclosure 10. Although two sidepanels 166 are provided to cover each side of the enclosure 10, a personhaving ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure,could employ any number of side panels to enclose the side, e.g., oneside panel. The side panels 166 encase the interior region of theenclosure 10. In addition, multiple enclosures 10 may be placedside-by-side to create a multi-bay enclosure and in this configuration,the side panels provide security and block air flow between theenclosures. Adjacent enclosures that are bayed together may houseelectrical components that are owned by different entities. Thus, theside panels 166, when employed, prevent the unwanted access into theinterior region of one enclosure by a person accessing the interiorregion of an adjacent enclosure. In addition, a side panel, or multipleside panels, can be removed to improve air flow through the enclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the side panel 166 has a bottom edge 170,which is formed to fit over the top flange 60 of the side brace member48. Specifically, the bottom edge 170 is bent so that the side panelrests on the top flange 60 of the side brace member 48. Referring backto FIGS. 19 and 20, and to FIGS. 20C and 20D, a lock assembly, generallyindicated at 172, is provided along a top edge 174 of the side panel 166to lock the side panel in place once it is placed over the frameassembly 24. In one embodiment of the invention, the lock assembly 172is provided by SouthCo, Inc. under part number A3-99-295-300. The sidepanels 166 have a conductive finish that mates with a conductive finishon the frame assembly 24 to ground the panels to the frame assembly. Inaddition, in one embodiment, grounding fingers 173, such as thoseprovided by Chomerics of Parker Hannifin Corporation under part no.81-01-11831-3000, may be used on the interface between the side panelsand the frame assembly, and are preferably fabricated from a conductive,flexible material with a conductive finish, such as electro-platedspring steel, zinc plated beryllium copper, or galvaneel. The sidepanels 166, as with the roof, fits within the frame assembly 24 toprovide a flush exterior to more easily accommodate the coupling ofmultiple enclosures to create a multi-bay enclosure.

Still referring to FIG. 20, and in addition to FIGS. 21 and 21A, thebottom of the frame assembly 24 of the enclosure 10 is provided withfour casters 176 at the four corners of the enclosure. To remove theweight of the enclosure 10 off of the casters 176, and to maintain theenclosure in a level position, four leveling feet, each indicated at178, are provided at the bottom of the enclosure. Specifically, asupport member 180 is attached to the bottom rail member 30 and 42 ofthe front and rear door assemblies 12, 14, respectively, so that it isflush with the bottom edge of the rail member. Each support member 180has a threaded bore 182 formed therein for receiving a threaded rod 184of the leveling foot, which is suitably connected (e.g., by a pivotablehinge, such as a ball and socket joint) to a foot portion 186. As shown,the foot portion 186 is in the shape of a disk that rests upon agenerally flat surface, e.g., a floor. In another embodiment, thethreaded bores can be formed in the bottom rail member to receive thethreaded rods of the leveling feet. However, the provision of thesupport member 180 having the leveling feet 178 being provided outsidethe interior region of the enclosure 10 enables a person installing theenclosure to conveniently level the enclosure even if equipment hasalready been installed.

FIGS. 21 and 21A illustrate the right-hand leveling foot 178 of thefront door assembly. It is understood that the remaining three levelingfeet may be constructed in a similar manner. The leveling foot 178 israised or lowered by turning the threaded rod 184 with a suitable tool,such as a Philips head screw driver. Thus, for example, by turning thethreaded rod 184 clockwise, the length in which the foot portion 186extends from the bottom edge of the support member 180 is increased,and, conversely, by turning the rod counterclockwise, the foot portionis retracted toward the support member. The leveling foot 178 is alsoprovided with a hexagonal portion 186A (FIG. 21B) near the base to allowan open-ended wrench to raise or lower the leveling foot. The hexagonalportion 178 may be useful for raising the enclosure 10 off of thecasters 176, or lessening the load on the casters, when the enclosure isloaded with heavy equipment. However, by providing Philips head accessat the top of the leveling foot, the foot can be lowered by a drilldriver, thus allowing the installer to level the enclosure more quicklyand efficiently than in typical enclosures of the prior art, which couldonly be lowered by using an open-ended wrench. The leveling feet 178enable the person assembling the enclosure 10 to quickly and efficientlylevel the enclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 22, 23 and 23A, the manner in which the front door 26may be hinged onto the side rail member 32, in accordance with oneembodiment, will be described in greater detail. As shown, the frontdoor 26 includes a door frame 188 and two hinges, each indicated at 190,one hinge being located near the top of the door and the other hingebeing located near the bottom of the door. It should be understood thatmore than two hinges can be provided, e.g., three hinges. Although thefront door 26 is shown having perforated sheet metal material 192 toallow air flow into and out of the interior region of the enclosure 10,the perforated sheet metal material could be replaced by any number ofsimilar materials. Further, the enclosure may be provided with a solidor transparent (such as glass or polycarbonate) door panel. A lockassembly 194 is provided for locking the front door 26, therebypreventing unwanted access into the interior region of the enclosure.The lock assembly 194 will be described in greater detail below.

With reference to FIG. 23, each hinge 190 comprises a bracket 196mounted on the side rail member of the door assembly by a pair ofthreaded fasteners 198, e.g., machine screws. Each bracket 196 has anupwardly projecting pin portion 200, which is spring-loaded and moveableto a retracted position for removing the door 26 without lifting thedoor off the hinges 190 (see FIG. 23A). Each pin portion 200 is receivedwithin a respective barrel portion 202, which is also suitably mountedon the door frame 188, e.g., by welding or suitable fastening. It shouldbe understood that the pin portions can project downwardly instead ofupwardly, and, in the present embodiment, the pin portions project bothup and down to allow the hinge to be reversible (left-hand versusright-hand hinging). The bracket 196 can be mounted on the door, andbarrel portions can be mounted on the side rail member of the doorassembly, and still fall within the scope of the present invention. Thearrangement is such that both of the barrel portions 202 of the doorframe 188 are slipped over their respective pin portions 200 to installthe door on the side rail member 32. The door 26, the door frame 188 andthe hinges 190 are constructed so that the door swings open a maximum of120 degrees to prevent the door from engaging an adjacent enclosure.Also, the pin portion 200 and the barrel portion 202 are constructed andarranged to prevent the door 26 from being removed from the hinge 190when the door is in a closed position. As shown in FIG. 23A, the pinportion 200 is constructed to receive the barrel portion 202 when thedoor 26 is oriented in an open position so that the barrel portion slipsover the pin portion. When closing the door 26, the pin portion 200prevents the barrel portion 202 from being removed thereby locking thedoor in place.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the door hinges 190 arereversible and may be mounted on the other side rail member, e.g., rightside rail member 34, by simply unscrewing the threaded fasteners 198,removing the brackets 196, and mounting the brackets on the other railmember with the threaded fasteners. The barrel portions 202 of the frontdoor frame 188 are capable of receiving the pin portions 200 whenmounting the door in a reversed position. Thus, it should be observedthat the front door assembly 12 of the present invention is capable ofbeing easily removed off of the hinges 190 without the aid of tools bysimply opening the door and lifting the door off of the hinge. It shouldalso be observed that the front door assembly of an embodiment of theinvention is reversible to accommodate instances in which it isdesirable to have the hinge on the right side rail member 34. It isimportant to note that the hinge and the door are constructed andarranged to interact so that the door cannot be lifted off its hingeswhen the door is closed.

Also illustrated in FIG. 23 is a baying bracket 204, which is used toconnect adjacent enclosures 10 to each other. Specifically, the bayingbracket 204 is capable of swinging out perpendicularly from the siderail member, e.g., left side rail member 32, the baying bracket havingtwo openings, each indicated at 206, formed therein for receivingthreaded fasteners to thereby attach an adjacent enclosure withinpredetermined industry standards.

FIG. 24 illustrates the rear door assembly 14 of an embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown, the rear doors 36, 38 are mounted on theirrespective side rail members 44, 46 in the same manner as the frontdoor, e.g., with hinges 190. It should be understood that the rear doorassembly 14 can be provided with a single door (as with the front doorassembly), and that the front door 26 can be provided with a pair ofdoors (as with the rear door assembly). Alternatively, the rear doorassembly 14 can be replaced with a solid panel to enclose the back endof the enclosure 10. Another lock assembly 194 is further provided forlocking the rear doors.

Specifically, the lock assembly 194 of an embodiment of the presentinvention is shown with reference to FIGS. 25 and 26. Each lock assembly194 includes a front plate 208, a lock cylinder 210, a lock mechanism212 and a latch 214. The lock assembly 194 is suitably attached bythreaded fasteners (not shown) from the interior region of the enclosure10 to the frame of the door in a position in which the latch 214, whenin a locked position, prevent the opening of the door. In oneembodiment, the lock assembly 194 may be purchased from SouthCo, Inc.under model nos. CN-29-1-300 (for the front door assembly 12) andCN-29-2-300 (for the rear door assembly 14). In one embodiment of theinvention, the doors can be spring loaded so that they open and closewith fewer operations by the user.

Turning now to FIGS. 27 and 27A, there is generally indicated at 216 anelectrical connector of an embodiment of the present invention designedto make an electrical connection between a component, such as a sidepanel of an enclosure and a cable or wire 217 (FIG. 27A), e.g., forgrounding purposes. As shown, the electrical connector 216 comprises agenerally U-shaped body 218 having a pair of oppositely extendingflanges 220, 222, which are adapted to be welded onto a planar surface(FIG. 27A), e.g., a wall 16 or 18 of the enclosure 10. Formed betweenthe flanges 220, 222, and integrally formed with the body 218, is a tab224 which extends along the same plane as the U-shaped body, the tabbeing connected to the U-shaped body by connector portion 226. Whenmounted on the planar surface, the tab 224 is spaced from the planarsurface. The tab 224 is constructed and arranged to receive the cable217. Specifically, the cable is slipped over the outer surface of thetab. An opening 228 formed in the tab 224 is adapted to further securethe cable to the tab. In the present embodiment, the electricalconnector 216 is formed from a blank that is manipulated to achieve theform illustrated in the drawings, e.g., by cutting, bending, etc., but asimilar result could be achieved with a casting of the connector.

The arrangement is such that the U-shaped body 218 of the electricalconnector 216 protects the tab 224 during use. As shown, the U-shapedbody 218 provides a protective shield around the tab 224 so that theelectrical connection with the cable 217 is disposed between and therebyprotected by the planar surface and the U-shaped body. Prior artelectrical connectors expose the tab so that the tab and/or the cableare prone to be torn off or broken during use.

FIG. 28 illustrates an electrical connector, generally indicated at 230,of another embodiment. As shown, the electrical connector is similarlyconstructed as electrical connector 216, except for the provision of anopening 232 formed in one of the flanges, e.g., flange 222 as shown, theopening being sized for receiving a threaded fastener or rivet (notshown) therein, and a positioning tab 234 formed in place of the otherflange, e.g., flange 220. The arrangement is such that the positioningtab 234 is received within a slotted opening formed in a wall or panelof the enclosure 10, for example, while the flange 222 is secured to thewall via a threaded fastener, e.g., a machine screw or rivet.

As described above, an advantage of embodiments of enclosures of thepresent invention is the ability of the enclosures to be quickly andeasily assembled and disassembled. Specifically, the front and rear doorassemblies 12, 14 and six side brace members 48 can be broken down andpackaged together in the form of a kit. Such a kit 236 is illustrated inFIG. 29. The side panels 166 and roof 22 may be provided separately, orthese components as well as the cable organizer 116 and other componentsof the enclosure 10 can be packaged with the side panels and roof in onekit. Thus, it will be observed that a single kit 236 is configurable forquick and easy assembly to achieve shown embodiments of an enclosure.

As shown in FIG. 29, the door assemblies 12, 14 are positioned tooverlie one another along a common plane. The roof 22, side bracemembers 48, mounting flanges 74 and cable organizers 116 are positionedbetween the front and rear door assemblies 12, 14, respectively. Evenwithout the side panels 266, the components provided by the kit 236enable the person assembling the enclosure 10 to complete the frameassembly 24. The other components can be assembled at another time. Theuse of kits for the enclosures 10 achieves a compact configurationsuitable for transport and/or storage.

Typical racks are transported in an assembled condition. The frame of atypical rack is of welded construction and is not easily arranged ordisassembled. This results in expensive shipping costs due to the largesize of the enclosures. As shown in FIG. 30, in accordance with oneembodiment, a transport crate, generally indicated at 238, is configuredto receive a plurality of kits 236. The transport crate 238 is abox-like structure having dimensions of 73 inches, 33 inches and 55inches. The transport crate 238 illustrated in FIG. 30 is configured totransport five kits 236. Thus, since five kits 236 can be containedwithin a single transport crate 238, the size and cost of shippingenclosures are greatly reduced. Of course, the transport crate 238 canbe sized to receive any number of kits 236, as well as kits havingdifferent sizes. A plurality of widthwise dividers 240 are providedwithin the interior region of the transport crate 238 to separate thekits 236 from one another during use. The dividers 240 define separatecompartments to prevent the kits 238 from wearing against each otherduring transport, thereby protecting the exterior finish of thecomponents of the kit. In addition, the dividers 240 maintain thesecomponents organized so that each kit 238 can be safely removed withoutthe risk of components spilling out of the crate.

The transport crate 238 may be fabricated from wood, which can bereinforced with metal brackets to further stabilize the crate.Specifically, the outer walls of the transport crate 238 can befabricated from plywood, engineered cardboard or plastic. The bottom ofthe transport crate is constructed similar to a pallet to allow a forktruck or other similar moving machine engage, lift and move thetransport crate. The dividers 240 can be constructed out of wood,cardboard, plastic or foam, for example.

Having thus described at least one embodiment of the present invention,various alternations, modifications and improvements will readily occurto those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications andimprovements are intended to be within the scope and spirit of theinvention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of exampleonly and is not intended to be limiting. The invention's limit isdefined only in the following claims and equivalents thereto.

For example, the front and rear door assemblies 22, 24 can be configuredusing components that require assembly. In addition, the number of sidebrace members can be modified to reflect changes in the size of theenclosure or changes in strength requirements.

With respect to the connectors 50, it should be understood that eachconnector could be modified and still fall within the scope of thepresent invention. For example, the provision of the lower tab havingthe boss that is received within the opening of the side brace, whileproviding an added level of stability to the connection, is notrequired. Similarly, the provision of the finger that is hooked over andsecured to the threaded fastener can be modified or deleted as required.One key feature of at least one embodiment of the connector 50 is thatit enables the quick and efficient connection of a side brace member tothe frame of the front or rear door assembly.

With respect to the mounting flanges, their construction as L-shapedmembers can be modified to support different configurations. Themounting flanges 74 are particularly adapted to support shelves and/orelectronic components at their corners. In one embodiment it may bedesirable for the mounting flange to lie flat along the plane of theirrespective side walls. This configuration would allow more than twomounting flanges along each side of the shelf and/or electroniccomponent. Also, it is not necessary that the mounting flanges run theentire vertical height of the enclosure. Shorter flanges can be employedto allow some equipment to be mounted at different depths than others.

With respect to the clamping assemblies 84, as described above, otherlatching mechanisms can be utilized in place of the latch member. Forexample, a thumb screw that tightens the clamping member, or some othersimilar mechanical device, may be implemented. One advantage with theclamping assembly of at least one embodiment of the present invention isthat the clamping assembly can quickly and efficiently position and lockthe mounting flange in place without the use of tools. The clampingassembly can be used by simply unlocking the latch member, raising theclamping assembly within the slot so that the teeth of the clampingmember mesh with the teeth of the side brace member and locking thelatch member. It should also be noted that the provision of teeth is notrequired. For example, an interlocking member may be provided along thelength of the side brace member, the interlocking member engaging theclamping assembly to hold the mounting flange in place.

With respect to the positioning system, as mentioned above, depending onthe size of the teeth (i.e., the incremental movement of the mountingflange along the side brace member), it may be desirable to provide moreor less than three symbols and three openings. For example, in anotherembodiment, there may be provided four separate symbols, each etched orstamped or cut in the side brace member so that the symbols are providedin a sequence occurring every fourth symbol, and four openings in whicha symbol appears in only one opening. In such an embodiment, the spacingbetween symbols is four teeth and the spacing between openings is fiveteeth. Thus, by moving the mounting flange one tooth in either direction(left or right), a different symbol appears in a different window.Although shown and described with a clamping assembly having teeth, thepositioning system can be used with an assembly that does not enable theincremental movement of the mounting flange and still fall within thescope of the present invention.

With respect to the cable organizers 116, one alternate embodiment is tointegrally form the cable organizer feature with the frame of the reardoor assembly, for example. Also, the provision of a cable organizerhaving another form of clamping assembly to secure the cable organizerto the side brace member is further contemplated herein. The clampingassembly 126 enables an installer to quickly and efficiently secure itto the side brace members. Also, a different pattern of cutouts can befurther implemented.

With respect to the roof 22, the provision of another manner ofattaching the roof to the frame assembly is contemplated. For example,mechanical fasteners, such as the threaded fasteners used to secure thebridge members, may be provided. In addition, the number and placementof the cutouts can be modified and fall within the scope of the presentinvention.

With respect to the cutout cover 148, the shape and size of the cutoutcover can be modified to cover a cutout formed in the roof. In addition,the size and number of keys can be modified to vary the manner in whichthe cutout is covered. Also, the manner in which adjacent keys arereleasably attached to one another can be varied. For example, each keymay be provided with an interlocking member that releasably connectswith an interlocking member of its adjacent key.

With respect to the side panels 166, it may be desirable to exclude theside panels so that the electronic components can be easily accessedfrom the side of the enclosure. Also, as described above, the areadefining the side of the enclosure can be covered by any number of sidepanels.

With respect to the leveling feet 178, although the feet are shown to bemounted on the support members 180, these feet can be mounted on thebottom rail members 30, 42 and still fall within the scope of theinvention. The advantage to mounting the leveling feet 178 on thesupport members 180 is that the leveling feet can be accessed outsidethe enclosure 10 without having to open the doors 26 and 36, 38.

With reference to the door assemblies, it is not necessary for theenclosure to include doors. The enclosure can simply consist of twoframes connected by any number of side brace members and still fallwithin the scope of the present invention.

With reference to the hinges 190 that hinge the doors (e.g., door 26) ontheir respective door frames, the hinges can be releasably mounted onthe door frames in any suitable manner. One advantage associated withthe hinges disclosed herein is their ability to mount the door on eitherside of the door frame.

With reference to the electrical connectors 216, 230, these devices aredesigned to be conveniently secured to the enclosure in any number oflocations within the interior of the enclosure or on the exterior of theenclosure. One advantage associated with the electrical connectors istheir ability to protect the connection of the wire or cable to theelectrical connector, yet enable quick connection and release of themating connector.

With reference to the kit 236 and transport crate 238, the provision ofmultiple kits provided in one crate enables the kits to be economicallystored and shipped thereby saving storage space and transportationcosts. As described herein, the kits are easy to assembly and providethe ability to disassemble and store the enclosures when they are not inuse or when they are required to be moved.

1. An enclosure for housing electronic components, the enclosurecomprising: a front assembly having a front frame, the front assemblydefining a front of the enclosure; a rear assembly having a rear frame;at least two side brace members, each side brace member having a firstend and a second, opposite end; a first connector adapted to releasablyconnect the first end of one of the side brace members to the frontframe; a second connector adapted to releasably connect the second endof the one of the side brace members to the rear frame; a plurality ofpanels releasably attachable to at least one of the front frame, therear frame, and one of the side brace members to cover open sides of theenclosure; and at least one spring finger, coupled to one of theplurality of side panels and at least one of the front frame, the rearframe, and one of the side brace members, to provide electricalcontinuity between one of the plurality of side panels and the at leastone of the front frame, the rear frame, and one of the side bracemembers.
 2. An enclosure for housing electronic components, theenclosure comprising: a front assembly having a front frame, the frontassembly defining a front of the enclosure; a rear assembly having arear frame; at least two side brace members, each side brace memberhaving a first end and a second, opposite end; a first connector adaptedto releasably connect the first end of one of the side brace members tothe front frame; and a second connector adapted to releasably connectthe second end of the one of the side brace members to the rear frame,wherein each connector comprises an upper tab mounted on one of thefront and rear frames, and a top flange formed on the one of the sidebrace members, the top flange having a downwardly opening channeladapted to receive the upper tab when connecting the one of the sidebrace members to the one of the front and rear frames.
 3. The enclosureof claim 2, wherein each connector further comprises a lower tab mountedon the one of the front and rear frames, the lower tab having a bossformed thereon, and an opening formed in the one of the side bracemembers below the top flange, the opening being adapted to receive theboss therein when connecting the one of the side brace members to theone of the front and rear frames.
 4. The enclosure of claim 2, whereineach connector further comprises a channel member mounted on the one ofthe side brace members, the channel member being adapted to receive theone of the front and rear frames therein when connecting the one of theside brace members to the one of the front and rear frames.
 5. Theenclosure of claim 4, wherein a fastener is attached to the one of thefront and rear frames, and wherein the channel member has a fingerprojecting from the channel member, the finger being adapted to hookonto the fastener.
 6. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the fastener isadapted to be tightened to secure the finger in place.
 7. An enclosurefor housing electronic components, the enclosure comprising: a frontassembly having a front frame, the front assembly defining a front ofthe enclosure; a rear assembly having a rear frame; at least two sidebrace members, each side brace member having a first end and a second,opposite end; a first connector adapted to releasably connect the firstend of one of the side brace members to the front frame; a secondconnector adapted to releasably connect the second end of the one of theside brace members to the rear frame; and at least one mounting flangereleasably mounted on one of the side brace members within an interiorof the enclosure, the at least one mounting flange being adapted tosupport equipment in the enclosure.
 8. The enclosure of claim 7, whereinthe at least one mounting flange comprises a clamping assembly toreleasably clamp the at least one mounting flange to the one of the sidebrace members.
 9. The enclosure of claim 8, wherein the clampingassembly comprises a clamping bracket having teeth formed along an upperedge of the clamping bracket, the teeth of the clamping bracket beingadapted to mesh with teeth formed in the one of the side brace membersto clamp the at least one mounting flange to the one of the side bracemembers, and a latch member connected to the clamping bracket, the latchmember and the clamping bracket being positioned within a vertical slotformed in the at least one mounting flange and moveable between anon-clamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket arespaced from the teeth of the one of the side brace members and aclamping position in which the teeth of the clamping bracket mesh withthe teeth of the one of the side brace members.
 10. The enclosure ofclaim 9, further comprising a viewing slot formed in the at least onemounting flange to view whether the latch member and clamping bracketare in the non-clamping position or the clamping position.
 11. Theenclosure of claim 7, further comprising a positioning system toposition the at least one mounting flange within the enclosure.
 12. Theenclosure of claim 11, wherein the positioning system comprises at leasttwo openings formed in the at least one mounting flange, and at leasttwo different, alternating symbols which form a line of symbols alongthe one of the side brace members, the symbols and openings beingconstructed and arranged to show one symbol through one opening toindicate a position of the at least one mounting flange along the one ofthe side brace members.
 13. The enclosure of claim 12, wherein thepositioning system comprises three openings and three different symbols,the symbols and openings being constructed and arranged to show adifferent symbol through a different opening when moving the at leastone mounting flange an incremental distance along the length of the oneof the side brace members.
 14. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein the atleast one mounting flange further comprises a hook member adapted toride along a lower edge of the one of the side brace members.
 15. Anenclosure for housing electronic components, the enclosure comprising: afront assembly having a front frame, the front assembly defining a frontof the enclosure; a rear assembly having a rear frame; at least two sidebrace members, each side brace member having a first end and a second,opposite end; a first connector adapted to releasably connect the firstend of one of the side brace members to the front frame; a secondconnector adapted to releasably connect the second end of the one of theside brace members to the rear frame; and at least one cable organizerreleasably mounted on one of the side brace members within an interiorregion of the enclosure, the cable organizer being adapted to supportand tie-off cables, wherein the at least one cable organizer comprises aclamping assembly to releasably clamp the cable organizer to the one ofthe side brace members, and wherein the clamping assembly comprises aclamping bracket having teeth formed along an upper edge of the clampingbracket, the teeth of the clamping bracket being adapted to mesh withteeth formed in the one of the side brace members to clamp the at leastone cable organizer to the one of the side brace members, and a fastenerconnected to the clamping bracket, the fastener and the clamping bracketbeing positioned within a vertical slot formed in the at least one cableorganizer and moveable between a non-clamping position in which theteeth of the clamping bracket are spaced from the teeth of the one ofthe side brace members and a clamping position in which the teeth of theclamping bracket mesh with the teeth of the one of the side bracemembers.
 16. The enclosure of claim 15, further comprising at least onespring finger, coupled to one of the roof and one of the front and rearframes, to provide electrical continuity between the roof and one of thefront and rear frames.
 17. An enclosure for housing electroniccomponents, the enclosure comprising: a front assembly having a frontframe, the front assembly defining a front of the enclosure; a rearassembly having a rear frame; at least two side brace members, each sidebrace member having a first end and a second, opposite end; a firstconnector adapted to releasably connect the first end of one of the sidebrace members to the front frame; a second connector adapted toreleasably connect the second end of the one of the side brace membersto the rear frame; and a roof releasably attached to the front and rearframes, wherein the roof has a first end and a second end opposite thefirst end with at least one tab formed at the first end of the roof, thetab being adapted to fit within a slot formed in one of the front andrear frames, and wherein the roof has at least one fastener provided atthe second end of the roof, the fastener being adapted to be releasablyinserted within an opening formed in the other frame of the front andrear frames.
 18. An enclosure for housing electronic components, theenclosure comprising: a front assembly having a front frame, the frontassembly defining a front of the enclosure; a rear assembly having arear frame; at least two side brace members, each side brace memberhaving a first end and a second, opposite end; a first connector adaptedto releasably connect the first end of one of the side brace members tothe front frame; a second connector adapted to releasably connect thesecond end of the one of the side brace members to the rear frame; and aroof releasably attached to the front and rear frames, wherein the roofhas at least one cutout formed along an edge of the roof to receive acable therethrough, wherein the roof is removable from the enclosurewithout disconnecting the cable.
 19. The enclosure of claim 18, furthercomprising a cutout cover to selectively cover the at least one cutout.20. The enclosure of claim 19, wherein the cutout cover includes aplurality of keys constructed and arranged to selectively cover thecutout.
 21. The enclosure of claim 20, wherein each key has a retainingclip to releasably attach the key to the roof.
 22. An enclosure forhousing electronic components, the enclosure comprising: a frontassembly having a front frame, the front assembly defining a front ofthe enclosure; a rear assembly having a rear frame; at least two sidebrace members, each side brace member having a first end and a second,opposite end; a first connector adapted to releasably connect the firstend of one of the side brace members to the front frame; a secondconnector adapted to releasably connect the second end of the one of theside brace members to the rear frame; and at least one roof bridgemember releasably attached to the front and rear frames.
 23. Anenclosure for housing electronic components, the enclosure comprising: afront assembly having a front frame, the front assembly defining a frontof the enclosure; a rear assembly having a rear frame; at least two sidebrace members, each side brace member having a first end and a second,opposite end; a first connector adapted to releasably connect the firstend of one of the side brace members to the front frame; a secondconnector adapted to releasably connect the second end of the one of theside brace members to the rear frame; and at least one hinge coupled tothe front frame, the at least one hinge being adapted to releasablyhinge a front door to the front frame, wherein the front frame includesa left side rail member and a right side rail member, and wherein the atleast one hinge is reversible to mount on one of the left side railmember and the right side rail member of the front frame, wherein eachhinge comprises a pin releasably mounted on one of the left and rightside rail members and a barrel portion, adapted to receive the pintherein, mounted on the door, and wherein the pin is spring-loaded toenable the door to be removed without lifting the door off the hinges.24. A kit for assembling at least one enclosure of the type capable ofhousing electronic components, the kit comprising components forassembling the at least one enclosure including: a front assembly havinga front frame, the front assembly defining a front of the enclosure; arear assembly having a rear frame; at least two side brace members, eachside brace member having a first end and a second end; and a pluralityof connectors for connecting the at least two side brace members to thefront assembly and the rear assembly, wherein each connector comprisesan upper tab mounted on one of the front and rear frames, and a topflange formed on one of the at least two side brace members, the topflange having a downwardly opening channel adapted to receive the uppertab when connecting the one of the at least two side brace members tothe one of the front and rear frames.
 25. The kit of claim 24, whereineach connector further comprises a lower tab mounted on the one of thefront and rear frames, the lower tab having a boss formed thereon, andan opening formed in the one of the at least two side brace membersbelow the top flange, the opening being adapted to receive the bosstherein when connecting the one of the at least two side brace membersto the one of the front and rear frames.
 26. The kit of claim 24,wherein each connector further comprises a channel member mounted on theone of the at least two side brace members, the channel member beingadapted to receive the one of the front and rear frames therein whenconnecting the one of the at least two side brace members to the one ofthe front and rear frames.
 27. The kit of claim 26, wherein a threadedfastener is attached to the one of the front and rear frames, andwherein the channel member has a finger projecting from the channelmember, the finger being adapted to hook onto the threaded fastener. 28.A kit for assembling at least one enclosure of the type capable ofhousing electronic components, the kit comprising components forassembling the at least one enclosure including: a front assembly havinga front frame, the front assembly defining a front of the enclosure; arear assembly having a rear frame; at least two side brace members, eachside brace member having a first end and a second end; a plurality ofconnectors for connecting the at least two side brace members to thefront assembly and the rear assembly; and at least one mounting flangereleasably mounted on one of the at least two side brace members withinan interior of the enclosure, the at least one mounting flange beingadapted to support equipment in the enclosure.
 29. The kit of claim 28,wherein the at least one mounting flange comprises at least one clampingassembly to releasably clamp the mounting flange to the one of the atleast two side brace members.
 30. The kit of claim 29, wherein the oneof the at least two side brace members includes teeth formed along alength of the one of the at least two side brace members, and whereinthe clamping assembly comprises a clamping bracket having teeth formedalong at least one edge of the clamping bracket, the teeth of theclamping bracket being adapted to mesh with the teeth formed in the oneof the at least two side brace members to clamp the at least onemounting flange to the one of the at least two side brace members, and alatch member connected to the clamping bracket, the latch member and theclamping bracket being positioned within a vertical slot formed in theat least one mounting flange and movable between a non-clamping positionin which the teeth of the clamping bracket are spaced from the teeth ofthe one of the at least two side brace members and a clamping positionin which the teeth of the clamping bracket mesh with the teeth of theone of the at least two side brace members.
 31. The kit of claim 30,further comprising a viewing slot formed in the at least one mountingflange to view whether the latch member and clamping bracket are in thenon-clamping position or the clamping position.
 32. The kit of claim 28,further comprising a positioning system to position the at least onemounting flange within the enclosure.
 33. The kit of claim 32, whereinthe positioning system comprises at least two openings formed in the atleast one mounting flange, and at least two different, alternatingsymbols which form a line of symbols along one of the at least two sidebrace members, the symbols and openings being constructed and arrangedto show one symbol through one opening to indicate the position of theat least one mounting flange along the one of the at least two sidebrace members.
 34. The kit of claim 33, wherein the positioning systemcomprises three openings and three different symbols, the symbols andopenings being constructed and arranged to show a different symbolthrough a different opening when moving the at least one mounting flangean incremental distance along a length of the one of the at least twoside brace members.
 35. The kit of claim 28, further comprising at leastone cable organizer releasably mounted on one of the at least two sidebrace members within an interior region of the enclosure, the cableorganizer being adapted to support and tie-off cables.
 36. The kit ofclaim 28, wherein the components include components for assembling aplurality of enclosures and a transport crate configured to contain thecomponents during at least one of transport and storage.
 37. The kit ofclaim 36, wherein the transport crate is a box-like structure having aplurality of dividers positioned within an interior region of thetransport crate to separate components for each of the plurality ofenclosures.
 38. The kit of claim 28, wherein the front assembly furtherincludes a front door hinged on the front frame.
 39. The kit of claim38, further comprising at least one hinge coupled to the front frame,the at least one hinge being adapted to releasably hinge the front doorto the front frame.
 40. The kit of claim 39, wherein the at least onehinge comprises a pin releasably mounted on the front frame, and abarrel portion, adapted to receive the pin therein, mounted on the door.41. The kit of claim 40, wherein the pin is spring-loaded to enable thedoor to be removed without lifting the door off the at least one hinge.42. The kit of claim 28, wherein the rear assembly further includes atleast one rear door hinged on the rear frame.
 43. The kit of claim 42,further comprising at least one hinge coupled to the rear frame, the atleast one hinge being adapted to releasably hinge the rear door to therear frame.
 44. An enclosure for housing electronic components, theenclosure comprising: a front assembly having a front frame, the frontassembly defining a front of the enclosure; a rear assembly having arear frame; at least two side brace members, each side brace memberhaving a first end and a second, opposite end; first connector means toreleasably connect the first end of one of the side brace members to thefront frame; and second connector means to releasably connect the secondend of the one of the side brace members to the rear frame, wherein eachof the first connector means and the second connector means comprises anupper tab mounted on one of the front and rear frames, and a top flangeformed on the one of the side brace members, the top flange having adownwardly opening channel adapted to receive the upper tab whenconnecting the one of the side brace members to the one of the front andrear frames.
 45. The enclosure of claim 44, wherein each of the firstconnector means and the second connector means further comprises: alower tab mounted on the one of the front and rear frames, the lower tabhaving a boss formed thereon; and an opening formed in the one of theside brace members below the top flange, the opening being adapted toreceive the boss therein when connecting the one of the side bracemembers to the one of the front and rear frames.
 46. The enclosure ofclaim 44, wherein each of the first connector means and the secondconnector means further comprises a channel member mounted on the one ofthe side brace members, the channel member being adapted to receive theone of the front and rear frames therein when connecting the one of theside brace members to the one of the front and rear frames.
 47. Theenclosure of claim 46, wherein each of the first connector means and thesecond connector means comprises a fastener attached to the one of thefront and rear frames, and wherein the channel member has a fingerprojecting from the channel member, the finger being adapted to hookonto the fastener.